POSTED MARCH 18, 2020 - INFORMATION MAY HAVE CHANGED.

From NSU Office of  Disability Services Director Doris Stusiak

As we move to all classes online temporarily, please consider the following information:

• I will be working remotely from home during this time (March 17-April 3).  If you need to contact me, email me directly (Doris.Stusiak@northern.edu) and provide a phone number where you can be reached.
• As class format changes, so might some accommodations. Should you need any new and/or changing accommodations, please email me using the email above.
• Remind professors of the accommodations you are receiving.
• If you live with anxiety, depression, autism and ADD/ADHD, these sudden course changes might be overwhelming. Breathe and schedule in a little time for yourself each day. Reach out to your parents or your mental health provider to help manage your stress level.

• Some of you, because of your specific disability, may struggle with eye strain/fatigue or headaches due to the extra time now being spent on a computer. Pace yourself. Take regular breaks.
• If you still need note taking assistance for any classes, try replaying any lectures to fill in your own notes. If you feel you still need a note taker, contact me.
• If you have the “Flexible Attendance” accommodation, it may still be needed for online courses.
• Reach out to support services such as tutoring and academic advising. The delivery method of these services may change temporarily, but they are all there to help when needed.
• If you are having a problem with something in a course, reach out to the professor first.  Generally, the professor is the one who can answer your questions or make needed changes.
• If you haven’t done so already, set up a study space. It should be comfortable but will keep you alert. Try to find an area with limited distractions – both physical and digital.
• Set up email folders for each course to help manage communication.
• To reduce eye strain from constantly focusing on a computer screen, use the “20-20-20 rule.”  Look away from your computer at least every 20 minutes and look at a distant object (at least 20 feet away) for at least 20 seconds.
• Time management tips:
  • Order your courses by difficulty level and break down assigned work into smaller steps.
  • Use what was previously class time for each of your face-to-face classes to study for that class.
  • Use a planner to keep track of due dates, tests, etc.
• Test proctoring:
  • From March 17–April 3 test proctoring will generally be unavailable. However, arrangements can be made by emailing Doris.Stusiak@northern.edu:
    • If you need either a reader or a scribe.
    • If the professor does not provide another way to test other than the face-to-face paper format.